Council rates adjustment 

ATT: Mayor, Hawkesbury Council 

The land values in South Windsor Industrial Precinct have recently increased significantly by the Valuer-General of NSW. As a result of this, the Council’s rateable value for the Business Category land has also increased dramatically. 

As a local business of Hawkesbury and with the current COVID-19 climate, we are already struggling to operate. Simply put, we would just not be able to sustain with these increased rates amount which has practically doubled to our last year rates amount. 

As Australian businesses, we are supporting the local manufacturing industry which is a national priority currently for our country to be self-sufficient. Employing many Australian workers, we are trying to boost our local economy, but the increased rates amount will be disastrous for us to stay in the business, let alone make a profit. More than likely it will result in shutting down of the local businesses. The flow-on effect of this would be the mass unemployment of our 100+ staff members. 

In this difficult time, we believe the government should be helping the businesses. Council facilities to the businesses remain like before. Everything else stays the same – the only and major change this year is the pandemic which has put severe economic stress on us.  At this time Government should be reducing the rates. But instead of that or even keeping it the same as last year, they have actually increased it to almost double! 

To quote Hawkesbury Council’s policy for Financial Hardship (Policy Number: PAK0037J Version 2), section 7.1 of the policy under the assessment process for hardship states: 

"In exceptional circumstances which impact the community generally or have a broad impact on businesses, and subject to Council resolution, hardship provisions may be extended to properties categorised as “Business” for rating purposes. (Exceptional circumstances can include, but are not limited to, events such as a pandemic, a health crisis, a state of emergency, severe widespread economic stress)."

Under S601 (2) Local Government Act 1993 (NSW) states: 

"The Council has the discretion to waive, reduce or defer the payment of the whole or any part of the increase in the amount of the rate payable by the ratepayer in such circumstances, for such period and subject to such conditions as it thinks fit."

We therefore request the Council to reduce the rates to at least 20% less than our last year’s rates amount.